Dimmer device for headlights.



G. S. ELLIS.

DIMMER DEVICE FOR HIEADLIGHTS.

APPLIGATiDH-IILBD 1mg. 22, 1913.

Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

Mmw mm CHARLES S. ELLIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DIMMER DEI TIGE FOB- HEAIJLIGHTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Nov. 3, 1914,

Application filed December 22, 1913. Serial No. 808,124.

useful Improvements in Dimmer Devices for Headlights; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptio-n thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a dimmer or mask for head lights for lamps for use on automobiles, locomotives, electric cars and the like, and refers more specifically to an improved device adapted to be applied to the lamp in the path of the light rays projected therefrom and arranged to be adjusted so that the full volume of the light may be projected directly, and without obstruction, from the lamp, and also arranged to be adjusted to deflect the light downwardly on the roadway in advance of the vehicle. and to prevent the direct passage of the light forwardly to a person approaching the vehicle, and to thereby avoid the glaring effect of the full light.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a simple, economical and compact device for the purpose set forth, and the invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is a front elevation of a lamp equipped with my improved dimming device. Fig. 2 is an axial section thereof. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the pivot connectigi between one of the slats and the slat actuatingbar.

In the particular embodiment of my in-v vention which I have herein shown 10 comprises a casing, made preferably of sheet metal and of cylindric contour. he casing is provided at its rear end with a flange 11 adapted to be applied over and attached to the beaded rim 12 of the lamp front or door around the lamp lens, so that the casing is concentric with the lamplens. Said casing 10 is preferably closed at its forward end by a sheet of lass .or other transparent material 14 whic is secured to the casing in any suitable manner.

Located within the cylindric casing 101s a series of superposed slats 15 arranged hori zontally between the front and rear of the ate their front andrear edges.

casing. Said slats are pivotally mounted in the casing by means of suitable pivots extending from the ends of the slats intermedi- As herein shown, the pivots consist of rods 16 which extend throughout the lengths of the slats, and through suitabl hollow ears or lugs 17 struck up from the slats, with the ends thereof extending beyond the ends of the slats for pivotal engagement with a ring 18 fixed in any suitable manner within the frame or casing 10, as shown in Fig. 2. The said slats are adapted to be simultaneously actuated to open and close the dimmer device by means of a vertically disposed'bar 20, arranged in rear of the slats. Said actuating bar has slidmg engagement in suitable openings 21, 22 at the upper and lower sides of the casing or frame, and is loosely connected to the said slats. A convenient method of connecting the bar to the several slats is to form holes 24 adjacent to and entirely inside of the front edge of the actuating bar 20. and to file notches 25 through the front edge of the said bar which intersects said openings. In this manner there is formed in each opening opposed contact points 26, 26, separated such a distance as to readily engage opposite sides of an adjacent slat. This construction constitutes a very eflicient and simple pivot connection between the slats and the actuating bar, such as to give direct movement to the slats and to give the necessary relativemovementto the slats and the bar due to the relative arcuate and reciprocatory movements of the said slats and bar. The said slats are made wide from front to rear thereof relatively to each other so that when adjusted in forwardly and downwardly inclined positions (one of their normal positions), as indicated in Fig. 2, th forward edge of each slat is below the rear edge of the next subacent slat, so that the light rays do not pass directly and horizontally between the slats. The slats may thus be said to be arranged in inclined, overlapping relation.

The lower faces of the slats are provided with brightened or mirrored surfaces so that the reflected light which strikes the same is thrown downwardly and forwardly upon the roadway. In order to prevent the light thus reflected by the lower faces of the slats being again reflected forwardly in horizontal or forwardv direction, the upper sides of the slats are provided with nonreflecting or dull surfaces so as to thereby,

' of said rays horizontally forward and diwhich limits the rectly from the source of light within the lamp so as to produce a glaring effect in the eyes of a person approaching the vehicle.

The appearance of the dimmed o-r masked.

light behind the dimmer, when adjusted as shown in Fig. 2, is that of a soft subdued light, with the source of illumination, as the lamp in rear thereof, subdued so as not to produce a spot in the center of the resultant light or a glaring effect due to a'directly reflected light.

The actuating bar 20 is herein shown as provided at its lower end with a shoulder 27 downward movement thereof, and serves to hold the slats in parallel horizontal positions, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. In this latter adjustment of the lamp the full, directly reflected light passes outwardly between the slats, and the slats are not visible. This effect, therefore, is that of a unmasked light. That is to say, the slats do-not cast a shadow in the driving light, nor do they produce any visible obstruction.

The slats may be looked in their downwardly inclined, deflecting positions in any suitable manner, as by means of a spring latch 28 attached to the end of the actuating bar,. which extends outwardly from the lamp casing toconstitute a hand piece 29, the said latch being adapted for frictional or interlocking engagement with the walls of the openings 22 through which the hand piece extends.

I claim as my invention:

1. A dimmer device for lamps comprising a series of rocking opaque slats arranged horizontally across the pat of the light to be dimmed and adapted to assume, in one normal position, a forward and downward inclination, but not closed, and of such width relatively to their spacing that the rear edge of each slat is disposed in overlapping inclined relation to the forward edge of the 'next adjacent slat to shut off the horizontal passage of light between said slats, and in another position to be presented edgewise to the source of light, the lower faces of said slats being reflecting surfaces, and the upper faces thereof being non-reflecting surfaces, means to simultaneously rock said slats to open and partially close the dimmer deviceand means for locking the slats in both of their inclined light subduing and horizontal light displaying positions.

2. A dimmer device comprising a frame having means to attach same to the front of the lamp frame, a series of superposed horizontally arranged slats pivotally mounted in said frame,'a reciprocatory actuating bar having guiding engagement with said frame and provided along its length with a series of spaced two-point contacts for engagement with the marginal parts of said slats,

and means for locking said actuatingbar and therethrough said slats in different positions of adjustment.

3. A dimmer device comprising aframe closed at its forward end by a transparent front and provided at its rear end with a flange, by which to attach the same to the front of the lamp frame, a series of superposed, horizontally arranged rocking slats pivotally mounted in said frame, a verticallv reciprocatory actuating bar having guiding engagement with said frame and connected to the rear margins of said slats for simultaneously actuating same, and v a spring latch carried by said bar for engagement with the casing to lock said slats in different positions of adjustment.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 18th day of December, A. D. 1913.

CHARLES s. ELLIS. Witnesses i W. L. HALL, G. E. DOWLE. 

